im building up a new mtb, its coming along nicely, but i havent cut the steerer tube on the used fork yet, its too long, but when i do cut it, will i still be able to have the threads in the tube that that washer on the top bolts the stem down? if doesnt look removable, the fork is a rock shox judy tt off an 04 gary fisher wahoo

Hope to hear the answer myself. I want to replace my Psylo with a rigid, suspension adjusted fork (Kona maybe) in the near future and do not know what to expect (although I may not need to cut it down, I don't know if the forks come with threads since I know that some will have to cut them down).

No, that thing in there usually comes with the headset, not the fork. It is not removable, but you can push it down farther into the steer tube. It's a really cheap part that just wedges in there. If you want to save it, just bang it down a bit with a big screwdriver and rubber mallet, then trim the steer tube above it.

There is a tool that sets it to the proper depth, search the parktool.com website for it. You can get away without it, though, if you're careful.

Also, be very very careful when trimming the steer tube. Measure twice, take a break, measure twice again, look at it from a different angle, and then cut once. You'll be really unhappy if you cut it too short.

The part is called a "star nut" and is has fingers (the star) that wedge it into the tube and prevent it from coming back up. You can take a pice of broomstick or other rod and tap it down further with a hammer if necessary. If you tap it too far just push it out the bottom and reinsert it from the top.

Follow same time's advice about making multiple measurements. And leave some extra for spacers above the stem. You can always cut off more later but can't add any back. Don't forget to account for the headset and any spacers under the stem.